Martin urged to quit by TD over health ‘scandal’

INDEPENDENT TD Dr Jerry Cowley has called on Health Minister Micheál Martin to resign, blaming him for a litany of problems in health services in the west, including the deaths of almost 200 women from breast cancer.

Speaking at the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) AGM in Galway at the weekend, Dr Cowley slammed the Government for its delay in extending the breast cancer-screening programme, BreastCheck, and for its failure to extend radiotherapy services.

"I calculate that 195 women have died in the south and west because of lack of access to BreastCheck since 2000," Dr Cowley said.